The Ilyushin Il-40 (NATO reporting name: "Brawny") was a two-seat Soviet jet-engined armored ground-attack aircraft.Ground-attack aircraft are military aircraft designed to attack targets on the ground and are often deployed as close air support for, and in proximity to, their own ground forces. The proximity to friendly forces require precision strikes from these aircraft that are not possible with typical bomber aircraft. The resultant proximity to enemy targets also require aircraft that are more robust than other types of military aircraft.